Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams honoured as Grand Marshal of New York Veterans Parade

Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams was honoured as Grand Marshal of the Veterans Day Parade, which pays tribute to former military members.

The celebrated spacefarer, who is a retired Navy captain, spearheaded a massive procession of 20,000 participants along Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue on Wednesday.

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‘Time in Navy shaped who I am’

Reflecting on her central role, the Grand Marshal remarked that it was "an incredible honour", noting, "My time in the Navy shaped who I am and prepared me for every challenge that followed."

She added, "I'm proud to join New Yorkers and Americans from around the country in honouring the service, sacrifice, and commitment of veterans from every generation."

Before joining the space agency, she served as a test pilot, subsequently undertaking three missions spanning a cumulative 608 days in orbit. During her career, she established a record for the most spacewalks by a woman, completing nine spacewalks totalling 62 hours.

Marking its 107th annual Veterans Day Parade, the landmark procession brought together thousands of former military personnel alongside various armed forces units, municipal law enforcement officers, civic societies, educational institutions and musical brass bands. Commercial enterprises also contributed significantly, rolling out elaborate floats that highlighted former military personnel in their corporate workforce.

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On the eve of the parade, the decorated captain participated in ceremonial observances on board the USS San Antonio to mark the 251st anniversary of the Marine Corps' founding.

Williams' previous work

Born to Deepak Pandya, a neuroanatomist, and Ursuline Pandya, who is of Slovenian heritage, Williams previously made headlines when a scheduled eight-day expedition to the orbital laboratory during the first crewed flight of Boeing's Starliner capsule abruptly transformed into an extended nine-month odyssey. The prolonged stay stemmed from persistent technical problems with the spacecraft, ultimately requiring a rescue mission by a SpaceX Crew-9 vehicle to bring her and fellow stranded astronaut Butch Wilmore back home.

Deeply connected to her cultural roots, she famously took a copy of the Bhagavad Gita aloft in 2006, followed by the Upanishads in 2012.